Before of 1970's
Chronology Events of Kiss The Band in Before of 1970's "I Cry At Night" Eric Carr 1945 December 20 * Peter George John Criscuola (Peter Criss), son of Joseph and Loretta Criscuola, in Brooklyn, New York. 1947 * Feri Witz and Florence Klein marry in Jund, Hungary and soon afterwards move to Palestine breaking the British blockade of the region. 1949 August 25 * Chaim Witz (Gene Simmons) is Born,son of Florence and Feri Witz, in Haifa, Israel. 1950 January * July * Paul Charles Caravello (Eric Carr) is Born 1951 April 16 * Paul Daniel Frehley born in the Bronx, to Carl Danel and Esther Frehley. Karl was the son of Dutch immigrants while Esther was the youngest of seven children of the Hecht family who had emigrated to North Carolina from Germany at the turn of the 19th/20th Century. 1952 January 20 * Stanley Harvey Eisen born in Manhattan, New York, son of William and Eve. August 6 * Vincent John Cusano was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the son of Terri and Alfonso. 1953 December 12 * Bruce Howard Kulick (Bruce Kulick) was born in Brooklyn, New York. 1954 * Feri and Florence Witz divorce. Gene wouldn't see his father again. Gene moves from Tirat Hacarmel to Vade Jamal near Haifa. 1956 February 7 * Mark Leslie Norton born in Hollywood, California. 1958 May 12 * Eric Doyle Mensinger, the son of John born in Cleveland, OH. Unknown Date * Peter sings in a corner group, "Stars", doing mostly for fun doo-wop songs... * Gene and his mother emigrate to America, following the foot-steps of two of Florence's brothers who had already moved there. Landing at La Guardia Airport after surviving the trauma of a one-stop flight on El Al on which Gene threw up twice (practice for the future). 1959 * Gene starts attending Public School 92 in Corona, where he'll stay until 1963 April 26 * John Corabi born in Philadelphia,PA. 1963 * Peter fills in for the absent drummer for Joey Greco & The In Crowd, and is offered the position full time. The band performs jazz/rock material at the Metropole, opening for Peter's hero Gene Krupa, from whom Peter is soon April drumming pointers! * Gene attends Joseph Pulitzer Junior High School 145 in Jackson Heights where he'll stay until 1965. 1964 February 7 * The "British Invasion" begins with the Beatles landing in America 9 * The Beatles invasion of America, and the plethora of bands that soon follow, has a tremendous effect on many young Americans, including some future members of KISS during the band's first broadcast on US television on the Ed Sullivan Show. The Beatles perform "All My Loving", "Till There Was You", "She Loves You", "I Saw Her Standing There", and "I Want to Hold Your Hand". Unknown Date * A second performance of the Beatles, also filmed on the 9th, airs on the Ed Sullivan Show. * While attending Joseph Pulitzer Junior High School in Jackson Heights, Gene Simmons puts together his first band, Lynx, with Danny Haber and Seth Dogramajian. Playing a school talent show, the band are introduced as "The Missing Links" and the name sticks. Danny and Seth play guitar while Gene sings with the three harmonizing. * Ace Frehley starts messing around with his brother, Charley's guitar 1965 April 22 * Paul Frehley gets his first guitar, a Japanese electric, a gift from his father on his 14th birthday Unknown Date * At Elmhurst's Newtown High School, "The Missing Links" become the "Long Island Sounds" with the addition of guitarist and long-time friend Stephen Coronel and drummer Stan Singer. Allen Graff replaces Danny Haber on guitar. * Paul Stanley gets his first guitar, an acoustic, and starts taking lessons... * At some point, probably during this year, during his time at the Metropole, Peter Criscuola fills in on drums for one set for Joey Dee's band. * Peter Shepley and Mike Brand are working together. Between 1965 and 1966 they'd write several songs, including "Lonely Street", " Can't Stand This Love (Goodbye)", "Morning", and the eccentrically titled "Off To See The Wizard. 1966 May 27 * The Long Island Sounds, one of Gene's early bands, plays the Jewish Community Center in Jackson Heights, NY. July 3 * Lydia Di Leonardo and Peter Criscoula meet in a bar in Brooklyn where Peter is playing with the Barracuda's. December * The Barracudas, a band that Peter had joined earlier in the year, record a single for a Brooklyn vanity label. Unknown Date * Ace joins his first High School band, The Four Roses, who soon start playing school shows. * Paul Stanley gets his first electric guitar, and starts playing in bands soon afterwards. His first band would be "Incubus" which would become "Uncle Joe". With Matt Rael (Guitar) and Neil Teeman (Drums) the band would be a power trio without bass player, since they didn't know one. 1967 January 5 * Peter's band, The Barracudas, release a 7" single featuring "It's Been So Long" b/w "Affection." February 11 * Vinnie Vincent's band, The Younger Generation, were scheduled to play "More" and later conclude the Central High, Bridgeport, CT "Hootenanny" event with "I Believe". Autumn * Peter joins The Brotherhood, a soul band! Unknown Date * Paul Stanley graduates to Matt Rael's older brother's band "Post War Baby Boom". With a female lead vocalist, "Maxine", the band would also include Jon Rael Unknown * Paul Stanley, with his band "Post War Baby Boom", record a demo of "Never Living, Never Loving" at CBS/Columbia Studios in New York City. The song would be written by Paul Stanley, though it's not clear who sang on the recording since Maxine got sick a few days before the session. * Carravello's first proper band cuts an independent single, "I Cry At Night" b/w "Your Turn To Cry", which they unsuccessfully shop around to record labels. * Towards the end of High School Gene plays in another band with Stephen Coronel, "The Love Bag". 1968 April 21-22 * Postwar Babyboom, one of Paul Stanley's early bands, plays the Bee Hive Discoteque in Flushing, NY with The Project 5. July * Gene graduates from Newton High School. September * Gene attends Sullivan County Community College in South Fallsberg, New York. He soon puts together a beer-bash band "Bullfrog Bheer". Unknown Date * Peter joins Chelsea with Michael Benvenga (Bass), Pete Shepley (Vocals), Mike Brand (Guitar), and Chris Aridas (Guitar). The group soon start performing a variety of folk rock. * Paul Frehley gets his nickname "Ace" while a member of the band "King Kong". * Paul Caravello's Cellarmen record two songs, "I Found You (The One I Adore)" and "Then I Made A Wish" for a publishing company. * Paul Caravello's Cellarmen record two songs, "No Matter How You Try" and "When You Grow Tired" as a backing group to a young female singer Crystal Collins. * Paul joins Stan Singer (Drums), Marty Cohen (Bass), and Stephen Coronel (Guitar) in the band "Tree". 1969 January 31 * Ace Frehley attends what he considers to be one of his first "real" concerts seeing Led Zeppelin open for Iron Butterfly at New York's Filmore East... Apparently, most patrons left after Zeppelin finished their set! May * Vinnie performs "Every Day With You Girl" solo at his High School Red and Black Revue talent show. He returned to the stage later during the event to perform "I Never Meant To Hurt You." August * Both Paul Stanley and Bruce Kulick, then unknown to one another, attend the Led Zeppelin show at the Singer Music Festival in Forest Hills, New York. Unknown Date * Ace Frehley meets the later Mrs. Frehley, Jeanette Trerotola. * Gene Simmon's band, The Bullfrog Bheer, becomes a regular at the Rockland House in the Catskills. * On weekends Gene brings his band "Bullfrog Bheer", down to New York to record demos. Recording at cheap local studios like Saunders Recording and Richcraft, Gene produces demos of "Leeta" (Klein), "Stanley The Parrot" (Klein), "Little Lady" (Coronel/Klein), "Put On Your Slippers" (Klein), "About Her" (Coronel/Klein), "Amen Corner" (Klein), "Feel Lazy Today" (Klein), "A ? In The Eve - Nancy" (Klein), "Moon Maiden" (Klein), "Eskimo Sun" (Klein), "When I Woke" (Klein), and "A Story" (Klein). * Gene attempts, unsuccessfully, to offer a tape of his 12 songs for publication. * Gene forms another band, "Cathedral" with Stephen Coronel (Guitar), Stan Singer (Drums) and Marty Cohen. The previous year, and following into 1969, those three characters had played with Paul Stanley in "Tree". Category:Chronology